1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to toy vehicles and more particularly to a wheel assembly for toy vehicles.
2. Background Art
Toy vehicles, in particular, toy vehicles having a feature that facilitates the ability of the vehicle to climb over various surfaces and obstacles are popular playthings. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 678,023 filed Dec. 4, 1984 discloses a toy vehicle having wheels inside of which are a number of pivotally mounted claws that are automatically driven out when the wheel encounters a rough surface or obstruction that tends to cause the wheel to slip. After the vehicle overcomes the obstruction with the aid of the extended claws, a spring retracts the claws back into the wheel. It would, however, be desirable to have a wheel with extendable claws or lugs that can be manually locked in the extended position or locked in the retracted position to increase play opportunities.